Hello, welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon. Today's story is called The Ghost and the Train,

a slightly spooky story inspired by The Signal Man by Charles Dickens, written for you by Daniel Hines.

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The Ghost and the Train Once upon a time, when America was young and wild and spirits still walked the woods,

there was a lonely stretch of railway.

It was a spot where 13 different rails all met

to pass through a tunnel through a mountain. 13 tracks merged into one that passed through

the heart of stone and then split into 13 again on the other side. Thirteen is a number for spirits, and out in the wilds of the woods, so was the mountain.

It was a lonely place, but because it was so important for the railroad and so many trains and tracks needed switching,

there was a little house just outside of the tunnel, with a perfect view

right through to the other side. The railroad paid a worker to live there for a month at a time

and manage the tunnel. It was an annoying job because trains could come through any hour of the day

...